Brinley Hineman
During Viking's most recent earnings call, chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen and president and CFO Leah Talactac touted the success of the company. It will come as surely no surprise that Viking's business is booming, with the company on track to effectively sell out its capacity again next year.
Hagen and Talactac also discussed the brand's future and possible expansion opportunities. Talactac said she believed Viking has potential to capture more of the luxury ocean market.
Part of achieving that goal is through redefining the ocean cruise experience, Hagen said, making it about the destination rather than the ship.
"At Viking, we say that we are for the thinking person," he said. "True to that promise, our ocean itineraries, with a fleet of 12 ships, focus on cultural discovery and meaningful experiences, bring our guests closer to the world's most inspiring destinations."
Talactac referred to ocean "as our growth engine."
And expanding is seemingly on the mind of Viking executives -- not surprising for a company that most recently inaugurated nine vessels in one ceremony to bring its river-ship total to over 100.
When asked about growth, Talactac mentioned the company's short-lived attempt to offer land tours. Viking Tours, which debuted in 2007, operated standalone land itineraries. At the time, former president Jeffrey Dash called it "a logical progression" for the brand. But it later shuttered.
During the call, Talactac said when Viking launched the product, the company -- and world -- were different.
"It was not the right time," she said. "But could that be something that do in the future? Certainly. But we are a much different company now than back then."
An expansion to land-based tours could make sense. Viking has the ability to operate on land, as evident by its plethora of excursions around the globe, and the power of its name alone would convince customers to give it a try.
Not to mention that the land collection was launched shortly before the 2008 recession, which likely impacted the fledgling brand.
Even with today's economic issues, operators have performed well, with the growth showing no sign of slowing down in 2026 and beyond. For example, a survey from the National Tour Association found that the majority of tour operators expect to do even better next year than they did this year, a testament to Americans' prioritization of travel.